The present invention relates to weatherstrip assemblies, and, in particular, to weatherstrip assemblies which are used on windows and doors or other sash members.
The invention is suitable for use with prime windows or doors as well as storm windows and storm doors. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is useful for other weatherstripping purposes.
Weatherstripping acts as a barrier or seal against the elements and prevents wind, rain and other elements from passing into a structure. This prevention is achieved through the use of an impervious barrier in the weatherstrip. A typical approach to solving problem of mounting a weatherstrip on a window or door structure has been to provide a channel in the periphery of the structure and an insertable strip that is retained in the channel. Early examples of such strip and channel combinations are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,224,047 and 3,226,190. More recent attempts at solving this problem have relied upon a flexible weatherstrip that can be deformed in order to insert it into a channel defined by relatively rigid structural members. So, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,038, there is a shown weatherstrip member C with a cavity D. The weatherstrip member C is of flexible material and flanges 18 and 20 can be manipulated to temporarily reduce the size of the cavity D so that the weatherstrip member C may be inserted into a slot 10. Still others have provided lines of weakness along the backing strip member which can also assist in temporarily deforming the flexible weatherstrip or insertion into a T-slot. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,450.
However, such prior art assemblies do not provide efficient means for laterally restraining the backing member against movement within the T-slot. As such, the backing member is often free to move within the T-slot. Such motion may cause the backing member to gradually work its way out of the T-slot. The weatherstrip is then released thereby eliminating the barrier to the weather elements and thus defeating the whole purpose of the weatherstrip assembly.